How old do you got to be to have AMA?

Nathan

Old enough to pay the dues, or have someone pay the dues for you.

Nathan, There is no age limit to being an AMA member. I first became a member when I was 11 or 12. I know others that have been AMA members since they were four. Membership fees for those under 19 is $1 without Model Aviation.

Hope this helps!
50%

My son Zane has his AMA membership before he was born.

Sicko freak

My 5 year old is a member.. She has an EasyStar she wants to learn to fly.

You can keep them a member from birth to 18 for less than $20...
there's no reason not to.

What does it take to get you ama cert.? Just go to a club an show the cheif of the club to can fly in a safe manner an thats it????????? Like to know

AMA really doesn't "certify" anything. You can be a member without even knowing how to fly.

(Believe me, I know a bunch of those members!)

Once you have AMA MEMBERSHIP, you probably should contact a local club and show them that you are capable of flying your plane safely.

Then you can become a member of the club.

That all depends on the club rules, not AMA.

[X(] Dick, While I have seen you at the BARKS swap meet, I was un-aware you knew of my prowess with the sticks.[sm=bananahead.gif] Were you in the stands at the reedie race?

Back on topic, I got my son's card at 18 mo so none of the club curmudgeons would have anything to gripe about. It was pretty cool, I put his card in one of those hunting license envelopes pinned on his back. When I crossed the fence with him in my arms at a fly-in to look at some of the planes I could feel the acidic glares and then I turned to face the aforementioned with a friendly smirk. That was definitely worth a buck.

Yep, I knew that was you....

Which Fence?

AMA Safety Code general:

11. Children under six (6) years old are only allowed on a flightline or in a flight area as a pilot or while under flight instruction.

I guess at the age of six (6) years and one day that rule doesn't apply? That is the inherent problem with most rules... Unfortunately, I have witnessed on more than one occasion someone that should know better admonish another that a child cannot be at the flight line for any reason...a real shame!

Vicman,

I would be very concerned if the club I belonged or anyone else for that matter gave any weight as to whether my child was an AMA member or not while carrying him to look at the pretty planes.

On second thought...maybe we should consider having our AMA numbers tattooed on our foreheads at birth to alleviate all concerns

I showed up at our field one afternoon and a guy was working on a U-Can-Do, fuse only, wing not attached. There were only a few people there and a bunch of young kids (his) running around playing. This guy's wife is sitting on one of our work tables. I'm getting stuff out of the car, slightly concerned about 4 or 5 kids, at least one without shoes, running around and throwing toys and what-not, when this guy fires up the engine on the U-can-Do and starts running the fuse around the pit area. Now there weren't any other fliers out there, but still, this is against the club rules, and all these kids are suddenly in the pits, chasing his fuse around. I told the wife, she "had to get the kids behind the fence!" and both her and the husband took umbrage that I would tell them what to do. I explained that it is not safe and we were not allowed to run planes around the infield like that. She took off in a huff with the kids and he packed up and left in another car. I have seen him only one time since.

Seems like we are constantly explaining to folks the club rules and the need to have a current AMA card (or club card) on the frequency board. This is going to get more difficult to enforce with the Spectrum radios. We are an AMA club and our agreement with the city that owns the land, requires that all fliers have AMA membership.

I know this is off topic, but I saw Vicman's post so thought I'd chime in.

The one between the parking lot and the pits that says "AMA Card Required".
FWIW, he flew his first model at exactly 18 months. It was a HOB stick trainer with a Saito .30 on the nose. He flew two nice easy circuits and announced "I crash now!" That was when we grabbed the Tx back and decided next time to use a Buddy Box.

Little Crank S. I never did like the guys who flew at that field and when they lost it and started joining the club I'm in, things changed and not in the good way. Fortunately time has changed some things and old poots die off, now us 40 somethings with kids can enjoy a day at the field with our sons and daughters again.

Greg, I would have done the same thing.

I can truly relate!

My son was very enthusiastic and enjoyed coming to fly with me but after awhile he thought he had a "few to many dads" overseeing him at the field and has since went to other things after one of the old codgers made some negative personal reference to/about him...I hope to get him back soon but it will take a change... for the better.

I have 2 young daughters 4, and 2 and they love the planes. I guess maybe I fly at a good club b/c no one has really come up to me and said something about my kids but they don't run all over my wife does a very good job at keeping them close. We have been to a few shows and fly ins and I will walk them right up to the plane, but what i am wondering who do you guys feel about that. Someone w/ a kid walking up to your plane? I am hoping to get my youngest daugher into flying but how is the best way to teach her? Should i get her a sim. and then take her out to the field. I have a hobico 40 that she can learn on. Just looking a little help b/c she really likes to help daddy w/ his toys lol

If you come to a flyin where I am, bring your daughters over and let them touch the plane.(unless I have a chrome or metalic finish)

As far as your daughter flying, get a sim that has good trainers and good aerobatic as well as scale models in it.


50%

bailey_greg:

Reference your " Just looking a little help b/c she really likes to help daddy w/ his toys lol", IMO just go for it.

AMA's safety code is simply to restrict some from letting kids run loose in the flying area. The code provides a Club with a rule from higher up than the club to use to protect small children a degree of protection that many parents fail to do.

The AMA SC rule says, " Children under six (6) years old are only allowed on a flightline or in a flight area as a pilot or while under flight instruction."

Notice the words, ".... flightline or in a flight area as a pilot or while under flight instruction." I cannot find any mention of AMA membership and/or number in that specific statement. [>:] Usually a local thing.

What constitutes a flight area? It could be the pit area or not. Some clubs and/or events remove the pit area so far from the flight line that the pit is definitely out of any "flight area". Your field is its own situation so the decision is basically for you and your club members to make.

Any child with a parent or suitable adult, IMO, if being shown things about a model, is receiving "Flight Instruction" groundschool, therefore is within the confines of the SC rule. One can never learn too early or too much about the machine and its operation. [8D]

"....on a flight line..." is another situation. Again a child receiving flight instruction is legal. There is no mention of a buddy-cord requirement, so there is a definite wide latitude. In any case there is SUPERVISION.
If the child is running around chasing some taxing aircraft or pet, then the parent deserves criticism. Certainly no other flier has any desire to even come close to harming an errant child. By the same token no other flier should have to damage an aircraft to prevent such harm of another.

Of course a child can be receiving instruction from a club-designated Introductory Pilot, but only for a limited time, or even a one time flight instruction but that is TOO limited. Now there is one item that makes it all fall in place. SPEND THE EXTRA $1 AND MAKE THE CHILD AN AMA MEMBER. Now you can take the child on any flight line/flight area and "instruct" the child, flying or groundschool, and all is well.

Soooo Easy to comply with the rules and yet not greatly change one's way of doing things. Of course that doesn't give one much to complain or brag about, but it gets things done.

Well i thank everyone for the help i will just look into making both of them AMA members. They will think that is cool that they have their own cards. I have only been R/Cing for a little while so that was why i was asking, but when i am at the field w/ them my wife is always w/ me and keeps a good eye on them which also makes it nice she just doesn't want to learn to fly just likes to watch. Well thanks for the help

Bailey

What is up with the comments about "Old Codgers"[>:]! The older guys are the ones whom generally came from a time when kids were always under control and well mannered[sm=sleeping.gif]. Lets clarify something here right now; most all us "Old Codgers" are well past our child raising days. It's you young "Whippersnappers" that show up with the unruly children[sm=cry_smile.gif][sm=punching.gif][sm=52_52.gif] at the flying field, not the "Old Codgers". If we do come out to the flying field with unruly children, these are most likely our grand children, which are the children of your generation, and reflect your child rearing abilities, not ours!

Seriously, lets dispense with the name calling! "Whippersnapper", "Whippersnapper"/"Old Codger", "Old Codger"!! Noney, noney, New new!

Ok you are a old fart b/c you are putting all us "Whippersnappers" into one catagory. YOU have never met my kids and have no right to say that they are unruly. I will be the first to say that i am very hard maybe a little to hard on my kids b/c i don't want them to turn out uneducated, and its old farts like you that turn the younger crowd away from the hobby b/c we don't want deal w/ you. If you didn't raise your kids right and teach them the right way to raise their kids then its you fault and not ours

SSG Bailey
Indiana Army National Guard
SFOR11, OEF

OK last comment i will post about what Mode One said if you don't want the kids out there then ban them from the field. I cant say if the younger crowd would still come to fly there but then you could have your field to your self w/out the kids, but i know from watching my kids they will be the future of the sports b/c they both will get into and they are little girls. There is another thing I don't see a lot i know our club does have any girls that fly well at least the times i have been at the field i don't see any. I think i would be great for my girls to get into the club. At any rate Mode One you like me are both in-titled to our opioins and i hope you have a happy new-year

You act like someone hates kids. Quite the contrary. The rule was made after one kid was killed while messing with an unfinished wind-sock pole that fell on him and crushed him. Another toddler was sitting in a chair next to dad on the flightline while dad flew. Fell from the chair on his eye and was pierced by rebar, loosing his eyesight.

If you do as Hossfly suggests and actually watch the kids, no prob, they are under instruction.

The rule is there for the kids, not the adults.

No my problem is the ppl grouping other ppl. Mode One made is sound like all of us in that have kids have unruly kids. That is where i get mad. Like you said if you are watching them then they are ok. I care to much about my kids to let them run wild I have seen what a prop can do to a grown mans hand i would hate to see what it could do to a kid, but i am not trying to tell ppl how it raise their kids i just don't let mine get away w/ anything. If they get out of line in the store they get spanked, and the same goes anywhere to inculde the house and the flying field. I also take my wife to the field to help me watch the kids if i am going to take them to the field and i agree w/ what Hossfly said. Like you said not everyone hates kids i just have a problem w/ some of the older members always giving ppl a hard time. Its not everyone and there is always bad apples in every crowd.

AMA has no lower limit. You see ''age apropriate'' labels on a lot of toys. For example ''for ages 3 and up'' etc. IMHO, I would label RC cars 5 and up, and RC planes 11 and up.